After the One Night Stand
by CSIBeauty
Summary: Sequel to Easing Tension. After Emma and Hook's one night stand they find that their relationship changes. They are no longer fighting all the time and are even acting more like friends, but Neal is still lurking around and wants Emma back. Emma begins to wonder if what happened between her and Hook was just easing tension or something more. AU - Now Complete
1. The Nose Never Lies

**A/N: This is a multi-chapter sequel to my Smut One shot Easing Tension. At the moment there is no smut in this story, but since it is the sequel to a smut story, I am rating it M for the possibility of smut later on. It is reccommended that you read Easing Tension first, but in short of that story Emma and Hook have sex and this is the way their relationship changes after that. Enjoy**

_Chapter 1: The Nose Never Lies_

It had been a week since she had slept with Killian. Honestly Emma thought her conscience was going to start screaming at her for letting herself go in that moment. She expected to regret her actions that night. She had also expected that she would never be able to face the pirate again. Nothing she thought would happen came true. Somehow she and Killian actually started getting along better since that night. They didn't fight nearly as much as they used to, she wasn't uncomfortable around him anymore, and they managed to become more like friends. Who knew that a one night stand could lead to friendship? She made it clear to Killian that what happened was a onetime thing and it wasn't going to happen again. Emma had expected him to argue or come up with some witty remark about her being unable to resist him and was surprised when he didn't. He told her that if that's what she wanted, but the offer would stills stand to relieve her tensions should she ever need to. Emma just laughed and Killian had never pushed the subject.

Emma never spoke to anyone about what happened with her and the pirate and it gave her the hope that she would be able to keep that secret despite how her relationship with the pirate had clearly changed. After the first couple days she did get some questions from Snow, but Emma managed to avoid telling her the truth. She had just said that her and Killian had discussed what they were fighting about and realized that there was really no point in fighting over things that happened in the past.

It was a little harder to explain why she enjoyed hanging out with the man on a regular basis though. Eventually she managed to convince both of her parents that she could handle the pirate and that they had a lot in common. Technically it wasn't a lie either. She did find that she and Killian had a lot in common especially when it came to their pasts. Killian had told Emma the entire story about what happened to Milah. Even details he said he hadn't shared with anyone else. So Emma told him the whole story involving Neal and even what happened with Graham. It was nice to have someone who understood the pain that she had gone through and she understood his.

Emma woke up early this morning since she was supposed to be meeting her mother at Granny's for some breakfast before they both went to work. She had to admit it was nice to be able to spend time with her mother, although Emma wasn't as open with her mother as she was before the curse she still enjoyed their chats. When Emma entered the diner, Killian was standing at the counter waiting for Ruby to bring him his order. Emma walked up to him and bumped her hip into his.

"Hey," she said when he looked at her.

"Hey, yourself, love," he replied with a smirk. "Not coming in to arrest me I hope. I don't remember performing any illegal activities recently."

Emma shook her head and laughed. "Not this time. I'm meeting my mother for breakfast and then off to do some paperwork at the office."

"Sounds terribly boring," he replied, "I do hope your job isn't all about the paperwork. I imagine you are more of a hands on type of girl." He winked suggestively and she just rolled her eyes.

"Sometimes I actually like the boring paperwork part of the job," she stated. "I'm not always looking for an adventure although I'm sure that goes against everything you know being a pirate and all. I bet all you want to do is run off and find someone to fight."

"Ah, adventures are nice," Killian replied. "But it is nice to not have to run or fight for a while. Eventually that can get quite tiring. There are many times that I enjoy living in this world. It's quiet."

"Somehow I didn't peg you as the type who would want a quiet life," Emma replied.

"I've spent most of my life fighting or fleeing to be perfectly honest," Killian explained. "Living in a quiet town is actually a nice change. Maybe boring paperwork wouldn't be too bad."

Ruby walked up and a bag in front of Killian. He handed Ruby a few bills and picked his bag up.

"Well I do hope you enjoy your paperwork, lass," He said with a small bow as he exited the shop. Emma smiled and looked to Ruby.

"Large coffee?" Ruby asked and Emma just nodded. Ruby walked over and poured the coffee into a large Styrofoam cup before walking back over to Emma. "So do you care to explain yourself?"

Emma raised her eyebrow as she took a small sip of the coffee. "Explain myself about what?"

"I really didn't mention anything right away, but you have been acting different," Ruby explained. "Particularly around Hook. The two of you used to either avoid each other or fight when you are in here. Suddenly the two of you are acting all buddy buddy."

"I guess we sorted out our differences," said Emma, taking a larger sip of her coffee this time.

"I'm thinking it was more along the lines of you guys finally letting out your pent up sexual frustration," said Ruby.

Emma spit her coffee out in surprise and Ruby just laughed.

"I got that right didn't I?" Ruby asked.

"I don't know what you're talking about," Emma feigned innocence.

"Oh please, Emma," said Ruby rolling her eyes. "I can smell a satisfied woman from a mile away. He was good wasn't he?"

Emma groaned and put her face in her hands. There went her hope that nobody knew what happened between her and Killian. Though she was glad she wasn't having this conversation with her mother it wasn't lost on her that this was technically her mother's best friend. "I'm not answering that question. How did you know anyway?"

Ruby gave her a wolfish grin. "It's going to sound kind of strange, but it's the wolf thing. Last week the two of you were in here arguing about something. I think something about a beanstalk. The argument you were having doesn't really matter. You smelled like vanilla with a hint of chocolate and cinnamon. Usually when he comes in here he smells strongly of the sea and rum."

Emma gave Ruby a questioning look. "So what are you saying? We smell different now?"

"Now you both mostly smell like yourselves," Ruby stated. "But the day after your little argument when you came in here, you still had the scent of vanilla and cinnamon, but this time it was mixed with the smell of the sea, sweat, and a hint of rum. It was kind of a giveaway, especially since he didn't come in that entire day."

"So you're telling me that you can smell when I've had sex with someone," said Emma. "That's kinda creepy."

"I didn't ask to be a wolf," said Ruby. "Besides, I'm sure others notice how different you both are acting, even if they have no idea why."

"Okay, Ruby, "Emma started. "What happened between Killian and I was a onetime thing and it is not happening again. I would appreciate it if you wouldn't tell anybody else, especially my mother."

"I won't say a word to anyone." Ruby agreed. "But you never answered my question."

"What question was that?" Emma asked hoping Ruby would drop the subject as Snow walked into the diner. She walked up to the two and smiled. She was clearly aware that she interrupted something, but didn't say anything about it.

"Are we eating at the bar?" Snow asked.

"No, I was just talking to Ruby until you got here," Emma answered. "I'll meet you at a booth."

Snow nodded and headed to a nearby booth to sit down. Emma went to grab her cup of coffee and Ruby put a hand on her arm to stop her before she leaned in.

"So," Ruby whispered. "Was he good?"

Emma sighed and pinched the bridge of her nose. "Are you really asking me that question?"

"What?" Ruby asked. "I'm curious. I'll take a simple yes or no."

Emma bit her bottom lip. "Yes," she replied quietly.

Ruby let go of Emma's arm and smiled. "That's all I wanted to know."


	2. There is No Starting Over

**A/N: Thanks for all the reviews, favorites, and follows. There is a short text conversation in this chapter which is in italics. Enjoy**

_Chapter 2: There is No Starting Over_

Emma left Granny's thankful that her mother hadn't caught on to her and Ruby's conversation and it appeared that Ruby was letting her go without any more questions, at least for right now. The walk to the station wasn't a particularly long one, but she often found herself deep in thought whenever she was alone. Most of the time she found herself wondering how she got here, how she ended up being the savior, and how fairytale characters could exist in this world. She knew it was stupid to be thinking about things like that now, after everything that has happened. Yet, she often found her mind wandering to places like that. She lived in the town long enough, but even knowing everything she knows now it is still hard to believe.

Emma felt her phone vibrate in her pocket and she pulled it out to see a text message from Ruby:

_Ruby: Just so you know, our conversation is not over. I still want details of the affair._

Emma rolled her eyes before replying.

_Emma: Somehow I thought you would say something like that. And what makes you think I'm going to be giving you any details?_

Emma took a few more steps before her phone buzzed again. This time she decided to stop and lean against the nearby building.

_Ruby: Oh come on. You sleep with Captain Hook and you don't expect me to be asking questions._

_Emma: If my mother reads your texts messages and sees that you are so dead._

_Ruby: I don't let Snow use my phone. If it will make you feel better I will delete these messages, but that doesn't mean that I won't be asking you more questions later. I want to know how that hook works in bed. _

_Emma: Not happening._

Emma rubbed her temples as she waited for Ruby's response, but just then someone tapped on her shoulder. She jumped unaware that there was anywhere on the street at the time and noticed Neal standing in front of her.

"What the hell are you doing here?" Emma asked as her phone went off again. She ignored Neal for a second to glance at it.

_Ruby: Just a few details, please?_

_Emma: I'll think about it. Neal's here I have to go._

_Ruby: Do you want me to eat him?_

_Emma: I can handle Neal. I'll be fine. But I'll keep that offer in the back of my mind should I ever need it._

"Who are you talking to?" Neal asked when Emma finally put her phone in her pocket.

"That's really not any of your business, Neal," Emma stated. "What are you doing here? I am trying to head to work and you are kind of the last person I want to talk to right now."

"You have been avoiding me," Neal pointed out. "I knew you go this way to work and I think we need to talk about us."

"There is nothing to talk about," Emma stated, annoyed. "There is no us and there is never going to be."

"Emma," Neal started. "I know you're upset about me leaving you, but I honestly felt like it was in your best interest. I wanted you to live a better life than the one we were living. There were so many regrets I had after leaving and all I want is a chance to show you I'm sorry. I love you and I want us to have the chance to start over."

"No, Neal," said Emma. "You had your chance a long time ago and you ran. Maybe you really do believe that it was best for me, but you have no idea how hurt I was. I felt like I had lost the only thing I had and I had already felt like I had been abandoned all of my life. I know now that my parents didn't abandon me, but you did. Even if you believe you had good intentions, I don't. I don't believe a word you say and I don't want to start over. I want to live my life the way it was before you came to Storybrooke."

"Emma," Neal pleaded. "Just give me one more chance. Have lunch with me. I just want to talk."

Emma thought about it for a moment. She really didn't want to talk to him and though she knew she didn't love him anymore, she had once. Maybe she owed him a talk. She bit her lip and nodded slowly.

"Fine," she spoke up. "Lunch. Just once. I really don't want to do this in public so you can pick something up and bring it to the station. That's all you're getting right now."

Neal smiled and nodded, before walking away. Emma sighed heavily before walking the rest of the way to the station.

The paperwork on her desk had barely been touched after sitting there for a couple hours. Her mind was far away from work and she had wished David was here to help give her something else to think about, but it was his day off and she was alone. All she could think about was that she agreed to have lunch with Neal even though she would probably rather Regina or Gold rip her heart out. At this point she thought it might actually be less painful. It wasn't long until she heard a knock on the door and she looked up to see Neal standing there with a bag from Granny's in his hand. The sight of him being that actually made her feel nauseous, but she waved at him to come in. Neal smiled as he walked over and sat the bag on the desk Emma was sitting at.

"I really appreciate this, Emma," he said, still smiling.

"I want you to realize something right now," Emma stated standing up and walking around her desk until she was standing directly in front of him. "This changes nothing. It doesn't matter what you say and do at this point. My opinion of you is never going to change. I'll let you have this one chance to talk, but I seriously doubt anything you say is really going to make me forget what you did to me. I'm pretty sure there's nothing you can say to make me forgive you either."

"Emma, I really thought what I was doing was what was best for you," Neal explained. "August told me all about the curse. I knew it was true because I was sure my father had something to do with it. You had a destiny to save everyone in this town. As much as I wanted to keep you in my life, I had to give up my happiness for everyone here. If I didn't do what I did, we would have ended up living in Tallahassee raising our son, but the people of Storybrooke would never know who they were. They would have been lost forever. Don't you see that I had to make a difficult decision to make sure that you had the opportunity to save the people of Storybrooke?"

"Then why don't you try answering a question for me," Emma stated, her tone becoming more threatening. "Did you really think that it was something I didn't need help with? When I came to this town I didn't believe a word about the curse. My son tried to tell me the truth and I didn't believe him. I thought he was a kid with an overactive imagination. If you knew about the curse and you believed I was the only one who could break it then why is it that you decided to leave me to fend for myself? I could have used your help. You could have tried to convince me what my destiny was and help me. Instead I ended up alone."

Neal was silent. Emma hoped that she had got her point across. Nothing he was saying was a complete lie, but there were other alternatives that he apparently decided not to think about. When Neal failed to say anything else Emma continued.

"I know what happened, you were afraid of what it would mean for us to stay together. You were afraid to take any responsibility and instead you left me to deal with it on my own."

"Emma, I love you, "Neal stated.

"No you don't," Emma shot back. "When you love someone you won't give up on them that easily. My parents are proof of that. They had people fighting their love every step of the way, but they still managed to come out stronger. Even when the curse was still in effect they managed to find each other. That is what true love is. We never had that and we never will. Personally, I don't think I could ever have it and I think you are partially to blame for that."

Emma sighed when she was finished talking. Neither of them had even touched the food and to be honest she wasn't hungry anyway. At this point she was frustrated and annoyed. Neal was at a loss for words and Emma decided that was the end of the conversation. She turned away from him to go back to her work, but Neal grabbed her arm and pulled her back to him crashing his lips against hers. Emma was so shocked at first she wasn't even able to react. When the surprise passed she pushed Neal away from her.

"Emma, . ." Neal started, but he didn't get to finish his sentence before Emma's fist made contact with his nose.

"What the hell do you think you're doing, Neal?" she asked. He was holding his nose when he looked up at her.

"Can you honestly tell me that you feel nothing there?" He asked, his voice a bit muffled.

"There is nothing there, Neal," Emma replied wiping her lips off. If she wasn't disgusted before she was now. "If you attempt to kiss me again I promise you will come out of it with a whole lot more than just a bloody nose."

"Emma," Neal started, but Emma put her hand up to stop him.

"This conversation is over," said Emma, she could feel all kinds of frustrations taking her over now and she knew she needed to get as far away from Neal as possible. She picked up the food he had brought and threw it into the trashcan before storming out of the sheriff's office.


	3. Comfort Levels

**A/N: Once again, thank you all for reading, reviewing, ect. I appreciate it and I am growing quite fond of this story and where it is going. I wrote this chapter fairly quickly so sorry for any typos or mistakes. Enjoy.**

_Chapter 3: Comfort Levels_

Where she was going, she had no idea. All she knew was that she needed to get as far away from the sheriff's station and Neal that she could. She found herself wandering aimlessly down the street and all she could think was what the hell did he think he was doing? Did Neal really think kissing her was just going to bring all the old feelings rushing back? He had another thing coming if he thought that he could just waltz back into her life and one kiss was going to make her forget all the pain he put her through. She thought about texting Ruby back and telling her to go ahead and eat the bastard. Then at least she wouldn't have to deal with him anymore. The only reason she was willing to put up with him was for Henry and she was beginning to regret letting him around her son. If he really had no respect for her wishes what kind of influence was he going to be on Henry? The last thing she wanted was to get back with Neal and now she didn't even want to look at him.

Soon, Emma found herself standing at the Storybrooke docks and she had no idea how she got there. Maybe it was her subconscious telling her who she really needed to talk to right now, so she went over to where she knew the invisible gangplank was and boarded The Jolly Roger. She had only been aboard the ship once or twice, but she had to admit it was always just as amazing. Killian always thought a lot of his ship and Emma could tell why. He had told her how the ship had always served as a loyal friend, always there when he needed her. She wasn't sure if she would find him on the deck or not and after a quick observation of her surroundings she decided to head below to find the Captain's Quarters.

Below the ship was just as big and anyone would imagine. She could get lost pretty easily if she didn't already know where she was going. A few days after their one night stand Killian brought her aboard the ship and to his quarters for what he described was a real glass of rum. He had assured her that the rum of this world was appalling and that she needed to try the real stuff. Killian was often in awe of the new foods and drinks of this world, but he never retired his pirate rum. Emma found her way to the large door to the Captains Quarters very easily and knocked loudly, praying Killian was aboard his ship right now. After hearing some shuffling Killian opened the door. Emma noted the look of surprise on his face when he saw her standing there. Something in Emma snapped and she burst into tears while wrapping her arms around the pirate.

Killian was clearly in shock by the sudden action, but recovered quickly as he returned the hug while rubbing comforting circles into her back. One thing she found that she liked about Killian was his ability to read her so well. At one time she had found that fact annoying, but right now she loved it. The fact that he knew that all she needed was to be held while she cried; letting the frustrations of the past few hours fade away. He didn't say a word and just held her tight. She felt like the rest of the world could melt away and right now she would want nothing more. As she began to get control of herself he moved his hand up to her hair caressing it in a soothing manner. Emma sighed. She could feel her heart still racing, but she was relieved when she had finally stopped crying.

Killian pulled away from her and wiped away the tears on her cheeks. "Do you want to talk about it, lass?"

Emma took a shaky breath. "Neal kissed me." She stated as she walked further into the room.

"He kissed you?" Killian asked. Something about the way he said it resonated with her, almost like it troubled him. "What did you do?"

"I hit him and then ran away," Emma replied with a strained laugh. "He said he wanted to talk. I told him that nothing he said mattered and I explained to him exactly how I felt about the situation. He tried to tell me that everything he did was what he thought was best for me, but I didn't buy it. When I turned away from him he pulled me back to him and kissed me. I pushed him away and hit him. I didn't really say much else to him before I practically ran out of the sheriff's station. I needed to get away from him."

"I could always run him through with my hook," Killian offered. Emma laughed and she noticed Killian give her one of his genuine smiles. It was a smile she had seen once or twice, but he only seemed to smile like that if they were alone.

"I might end up taking you up on that offer one day," Emma replied. "Although, Ruby already offered to eat him."

"Well if the wolf girl eating him doesn't work out, I am always here if you need me," said Killian. He walked over and brushed a lock of hair behind her shoulder. "That also stands if you ever just need to talk or cry on someone's shoulder."

"Sometimes you do come in handy," she joked. "Thanks."

"Anytime, love," Killian replied with a smirk. "Did you come here immediately after your little fight?"

"Yes," Emma replied simply.

"Not that I don't enjoy being your shoulder to cry on, somehow I thought you would run to your mother or father first," Killian stated. "Why did you come here first?"

Emma thought about it for a second. She had no idea what led her here in the first place. It's true that Snow wasn't that far from the sheriff's station and her father wasn't even working. She bit her bottom lip trying to find a reasonable answer.

"I don't know," she finally replied. "I was just walking around the town and I ended up at the docks. I'm comfortable around you. You have never judged me for my past and you don't ask any questions that I don't want to answer."

"Interesting that the pirate you once chained up on a beanstalk because you couldn't take the chance to trust him being the only person you feel comfortable talking to," Killian stated. "My how far we've come."

Emma laughed. "I guess we have, but I count that as a good thing."

"Do you?" Killian asked raising an eyebrow.

"Yes, Before the curse I used to talk to my mother about all of my problems," Emma explained. "At the time I didn't know she was my mother. Maybe, I'm supposed to want to talk to her when I'm upset, but for some reason I find it harder knowing who she is. It used to be so easy to talk to her about my problems and now I can barely tell her how my day is going half the time."

"You should tell her what happened with Neal," Killian stated. Emma gave him a look of curiosity. "I'm sure she has an arrow she would like to introduce to the man."

Emma smiled and shook her head. "Yeah, you're probably right."

"Though honestly, love," Killian started. "You should tell her your problems with the man. She might be able to find a solution that doesn't involve having your friend's skewer or eat him. Especially if this man is going to be hanging around your son."

"God, Henry," she said burying her face in her hands. "I don't even want to talk to him about Neal. At first he seemed like he wanted us to be a family again and I think he understands that I don't want that, but the kid is all about trying to help me find my happy ending. Right now I kind of think, he thinks that Neal is supposed to be part of that."

"Everything will be fine, love," said Killian pulling Emma in for another hug. "He's a strong lad, smart, and quite perceptive. Much like someone else I know."

Emma smiled and returned the hug wishing she didn't have to let go. Something about being in Killian's arms felt right. It felt comfortable to her. She just sighed and let him hold her. Everything about being here felt right and she could feel her heart pounding in her chest. Though she wanted nothing more than to stay in his comforting arms she knew that she needed to leave before everyone started worrying about her. She was sure Neal would mention that she had run off and her father would likely organize a search party if she didn't go soon. Reluctantly she pulled back from the hug and gave Killian a light kiss on the cheek. He looked at her confused.

"What was that for?" he asked.

"For being here and for listening," Emma replied. "You have no idea how much it really means to me."


	4. Open Your Heart

**A/N: Thanks for all the reviews, favorites, follows. So happy so many people are enjoying the story. 3**

_Chapter 4: Open Your Heart_

When she left the ship she found that she was in a much better mood. Killian seemed to have that effect on her lately. No matter what was going on in her life she could count on him to just sit and listen or make some kind of witty remark that would cause all of her worries to fade away. She had realized how strange it was that the one person in town she could always count on was Captain Hook, but then again she was the daughter of Snow White and Prince Charming so strange was kind of the new normal in her life. She didn't realize how long she was actually gone until she peeked at her watch.

"Great," she said out loud to herself. She had been gone two hours. Time seemed to always fly by when she was with Killian. She headed back to the sheriff's office and as she suspected it appeared that several people had gathered to go looking for her. Her parents along with Ruby, Granny, Dr. Hopper, and several of the dwarfs. They all turned to her when she entered the room and her mother walked up to her and pulled her into a tight hug.

"We were so worried," she said pulling back to look her daughter in the eye. "What happened to you? Neal said you stormed off and he had no idea where you went."

"That was kind of the point," Emma stated. "I didn't want to talk to him and I didn't want him following me either."

"What happened?" David asked.

"I don't really want to talk about it in front of a large group," said Emma. "Could everyone except for Mary Margaret go please?"

Her mother seemed surprised that she asked to speak to her alone, but she went back to the group and shooed them out of the room. David gave her a questioning look which Emma attempted to return a reassuring smile. She was nervous to talk to her mother about her problems, but she believed that Killian was right; eventually she would need to open up to her mother and right now seemed to be the perfect time. As soon as they were alone Snow walked up to Emma and hugged her again.

"Now will you tell me what's going on?" she asked clearly worried.

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to worry you," Emma replied returning the hug. She pulled away so she could look at her mother when she explained the story. She told her everything that happened with Neal. This time she told her the whole story. When she was young and they fell in love. The trouble she got in and him sending her to jail for a crime he committed. How hurt she felt when she realized that he had abandoned her pregnant with his son. She told her everything that happened when she went to help Gold find his son and figuring out it was Neal. She told her what happened this morning when she agreed to have lunch with him and everything he told her about why he did what he did and then the kiss. Emma felt numb when she finished explaining the story. Snow was silent and listening intently and part of Emma was worried about the reaction she would have. There were tears in her mother's eyes as she pulled her into yet another hug.

"Emma, I am so sorry," she said. "I had no idea you had gone through that. I never really knew what you went through. You never told me what he did to hurt you. You just said that he hurt you and you wanted to leave it at that. He tried to convince you that he still loved you by kissing you?"

"Yeah," Emma replied. "That's when I hit him."

"I'm surprised you didn't pull your gun on him," Snow replied. Emma couldn't help but laugh.

"I thought about it, but If I shot him then I'd be in jail and I really didn't want my father to have to lock me up for murder," Emma stated.

"Emma," Snow started. "Why have you never told me this before?"

Emma swallowed hard. "I don't know. You are my mother. Honestly when it came to the whole being a thief for a few years I didn't know how you would react. It's also a story that I don't usually tell people. There was only one person who I had ever actually told the whole story about Neal. It's always hard to relive that part of my past."

"Who did you tell before me?" Snow asked.

Emma bit her lip. That wasn't something she had intended to say. She didn't know how Snow would react if she told her that she was more open with Captain Hook about her life than she was with her own mother. Snow just stared at her waiting for an answer and Emma knew she couldn't lie to her right now, especially when she had just begun to open up to her.

"Killian was the only one who knew anything about Neal," Emma sighed, closing her eyes so she couldn't see the look on Snow's face at that bit of information.

"Hook?" Snow asked in shock. "You told Hook about the man who broke your heart, but you never told me or your father?"

"I'm sorry," said Emma. "I never knew how to tell you and for some reason I have no problem sharing my past with Killian. He never judges me and he is actually a great listener."

"Emma, I would never judge you for anything you have done in your past," Snow reassured as she put a hand on Emma's shoulder. "You know how your father and I met. I don't exactly have an innocent past either and I never want you to feel like you can't come talk to me."

Emma nodded. "I know. I should have talked to you sooner, but I just didn't know how to. I know we used to talk about a lot more before I figured out who you were and for some reason talking to Killian is easier."

"Is that where you were?" Snow asked. "When you ran away from Neal? Did you go see Hook?"

"Yes," Emma admitted. "I don't even know why my first instinct was to go there. Everything was kind of a blurr after I left the station and next thing I knew I was at the docks, but I'm glad I did. He kind of calmed me down. For the most part I was so frustrated that I just cried before I actually told him what happened."

"Emma are you sure he's someone you can trust?" Snow asked, clearly worried.

"Yes, I trust him," said Emma. "Honestly he's there when I need someone to talk to, he never judges me about things I've done or said, he doesn't hold anything I've said in the past to him against me, and he gives great advice believe it or not. I wouldn't be talking to you right now if it wasn't for him."

"What do mean?" Snow asked as she furrowed her brow.

"I told him after I figured out that you were actually my mother that it was like I didn't know how to talk to you anymore," Emma explained. "He's the one who told me that I needed to talk to you about Neal and that you might actually be able to help me with the situation."

Snow was dumbstruck. It was clear that she would never have thought that the pirate would urge Emma to speak with her mother about her problems. Emma honestly never thought he was the type to give good advice or even be helpful in these types of situations, but he had been proving her wrong every step of the way.

"He's the reason you're talking to me right now?" Snow asked. Emma just nodded. "How often have you been talking to Killian?"

Emma realized it was the first time her mother ever called him by his first name. "About a week I guess. I mean I did talk to him before that, but most of the time we ended up fighting then."

"So then what changed?" Snow asked. "Why are you guys suddenly not fighting?"

"I don't know," Emma lied. The last thing she wanted to do is tell her mother that she had sex with the pirate. She may be willing to open up more to her right now, but she still didn't feel comfortable talking to her about her past or present sex life. "We just realized that we have a lot in common. We understand each other."

"Are you sure that's it?" Snow asked giving her a knowing look.

"Yes, why?" Emma asked. Not sure if she was going to like the answer.

"Do you remember that we used to talk about literally everything before the curse broke?" Snow asked. Emma nodded. "Well I seem to remember you mentioning once that you hadn't had sex in four years."

"I would like to point out that I would have never told you that if I knew you were my mother," said Emma. "What's your point?"

"Before last week you were almost obsessed with your work. You stayed at the station pretty much all day and overworked yourself on a daily basis. You would snap and anyone for even the littlest things and honestly seemed bitter most of the time." Snow explained. Emma was confused and unsure where she was going with this so she stayed silent. "Suddenly, one day last week you almost seemed happy and you let a lot of things roll off your shoulders that you normally wouldn't."

"Is that a crime?" Emma asked.

"It's an observation," said Snow. "I know I'm not the person you would want to tell this too, but can you please try to answer me honestly?"

"Okay. . ." Emma replied.

Snow closed her eyes and took a deep breath. "Did you and Killian have sex?"

Emma's eyes got wide at the question. She had no idea how she would be able to tell that just by her change in actions. Ruby had said she smelt it on her, but how did her mother figure it out. Emma could feel her heart begin to race and she knew that her mother wouldn't believe her even if she tried to lie. Besides at this point she had a feeling the answer was obvious just by how long she had been standing there staring.

"Yes," Emma finally replied refusing to look her mother in the eye. Out of the corner of her eye she could see Snow nod knowingly.

"Do you care about him?" Snow then asked and this time Emma looked directly at her mother.

"Yes," she replied. "He's a friend and I trust him."

"Is that it?" Snow continued.

"What do you mean?" Emma asked.

"Do you have feelings for him?" Snow elaborated.

"I. . ." Emma started. She had never really thought about it before and she found herself unable to get her words out. Her feelings were something that she had trouble comprehending. She didn't like to think about them and she had mostly pushed people away for years so she wasn't even sure if she could recognize them or not. Before Emma could even attempt to try to continue to respond Snow spoke up again.

"Does he know?"

Emma shook her head. "There's nothing to know."

"You know that's not true, Emma," Snow replied. "You might not notice it, but I could tell by the way you were talking about him that there is something there. Something you're afraid to let your heart want."

"I can't let him in," Emma stated unable to hide the fear in her voice.

"You apparently already did once," said Snow. "I have never seen you this happy and open. I want you to have what your father and I have. Maybe with Killian you have that chance, but you will never know if you don't take the leap."


	5. Leap of Faith

**A/N: Honestly this could have very easily been the last chapter of this story. However, my muse had other ideas so this is not going to be the end. Thanks once again for all the review, favorites, and follows. I 3 you all.**

_Chapter 5: Leap of Faith_

Emma couldn't believe her mother of all people was encouraging her to pursue a romantic relationship with Captain Hook. She would be lying to herself if she said she didn't have some kind of feelings for him. After they had slept together she felt like those feelings were there, but she pushed them aside assuming it was just related to the fact that she had let herself give into her desires. Snow had suggested that she take the rest of the day off to think and Emma didn't argue with her about it. The last place she wanted to be was at work right now. She hated to admit it, but the more she thought about what her mother said the more it made sense. Whenever she was around Killian she felt her heart race, when his eyes met hers her heart would skip a beat and she felt like she couldn't breathe, and whenever she wasn't around him she would still find herself thinking about him.

Once again she found herself lost in thought when she left the sheriff's office. As she left the station she ran into somebody not far from the door. When she looked up she was annoyed to see that Neal was standing there, yet again.

"What the hell do you want?" Emma asked. "You know what, I don't want to know. Stay the hell away from me."

"Emma," Neal started. "I know that you are mad at me right now, but I still think we can work this out."

"There is nothing to work out, Neal," Emma explained. "What is it about what I have said that's confusing you? I want nothing to do with you and I want you to leave me alone."

"I want us to be a family," said Neal. "Me, you, and Henry."

"We will never be a family," Emma stated, feeling her temper rise once again. "I have all the family I will ever need and personally I don't think Henry needs you in his life. I am beginning to question the decision to even let you see him."

Neal seemed shocked by that statement. "You can't tell me that I can't see my son."

"Then please just go away and leave me alone," said Emma. "I don't want you in my life and the only reason I tolerate you is because I think Henry has a right to get to know his father, but that doesn't mean that that won't change."

"I love you," Neal repeated. The more she heard it from him the more she wanted to run the other direction and maybe this time she would.

"I don't love you," Emma replied. "I'm sorry Neal, but I'm in love with someone else."

Before Neal got the chance to reply Emma ran past him and headed back toward the docks. She had no idea what she planned to do when she got there, but she knew her mother was right, she needed to take the leap if she was ever going to be happy. It was strange to be thinking like that. After Neal she swore that she would never need love in her life to be happy and she lived like that for a while without any problems. Then Killian Jones showed up and changed everything. The more she thought about it, the more she wondered if those feeling had always been there and she just never knew how to recognize them anymore.

Once again she found her way up the invisible gangplank and made it straight to the Captains Quarters where she knew Killian would be. It hadn't really been that long since their last conversation and she doubted he had already left his ship. Honestly he spent more time on his ship then he did off. This time instead of knocking she just opened the door letting herself in before closing it behind her.

Killian was sitting at his desk looking over some kind of paperwork when she walked in. He looked up at her when she entered, a look of confusion clear on his features. He put the paperwork down and walked over to Emma. The look of confusion transformed to concern. Emma really didn't think this completely through and she had no idea what she had planned to do at this point. All kinds of questions went through her mind. How do you tell someone you think you love them? What if he doesn't feel the same way? What if she did something stupid and ruined any chances they had? What if she scared him away?

"Emma, love," Killian said, pulling her out of her thoughts. "Is something else wrong?"

"No," she said simply. She could feel her heart pounding in her chest and she was beginning to feel like it was hard to breath and she knew it was because of him. A feeling she was actually familiar with over the past week, but could never place why until now.

"Then what are you doing here, love?" He asked, clearly still confused as he brushed a lock of hair behind her shoulder. An action she was getting used to and now found comforting.

"I don't know," she answered honestly with a shaky breath. She could feel her nerves taking over her body. She had no idea what she was supposed to say in this moment, but she held his gaze wishing she could read his mind.

"Emma, love, you're shaking," Killian stated, bringing his right hand up to her shoulder.

"I'm nervous," Emma replied simply.

"Why are you nervous?" he asked. Emma noted that he appeared to be having the same trouble breathing as she currently was.

"You," she answered breathless.

"I'm . . . I'm making you nervous?" he asked in disbelief.

"Yes," she replied as she took a step forward.

"Why?" he asked simply, eyes never leaving hers.

Emma reached up and grabbed his hand slowly moving it to her chest where her heart rested. She noticed his breath hitch as he watched her every move with interest.

"Because of you," She stated quietly, letting her hand remain over his. She knew he could feel how hard her heart was pounding. "And I can't breathe. I . ."

Killian took a step forward and moved his hand slowly up to cup her cheek. She leaned into his touch closing her eyes. When she opened them she noticed a look in his eyes she had never seen before. A look she wasn't sure she recognized. Love.

"What is it, love?" Killian asked, as he leaned a few inches closer, his eyes never leaving hers.

"I . . ." Emma swallowed hard. She needed to say it. She needed him to know exactly what she was feeling. The fear was still there, but she knew she had to take this chance and she feared if she didn't do it with him then she never would. "I think . . . I'm falling in love with you."

Emma closed her eyes. She had no idea how he would react to those words. She herself couldn't believe she could let herself say them. She could feel the curve of his hook below her chin as he tilted her head up. She felt his breath on her lips and she sighed when his lips lightly brushed hers before he pulled back. Her eyes remained closed until she heard him speak.

"Look at me, love," Emma opened her eyes and she could see the same fear she had reflected back at her. It was clearly not easy for him either. He leaned in to kiss her lightly again before pulling back. "I think I'm falling in love with you too." He whispered against her lips.

Emma smiled and moved her right hand behind his neck. She let her forehead rest against his relief washing over her. Somehow she expected him to push her away. She thought that he probably didn't feel the same way and she never realized how happy it would make her feel to find out that she was wrong. Killian gave her his genuine smile. The smile that she never fully realized had been reserved for her this whole time. He stroked her cheek with his thumb and just stared into her eyes. Nobody had ever looked at her like that, like they could just stare at her forever and she felt like she could do just that with him.

"I was afraid you didn't feel the same way," Emma admitted, leaning into his touch once again.

"Love, I'm fairly certain I've been in love with you since the beanstalk," Killian replied, with a shaky laugh.

"Really?" Emma asked, bewildered. She was having a hard enough time dealing with most recent events. Though she had considered that she had been feeling something sooner, she never even considered that maybe it all started when they first met. "Maybe I was too. I honestly never thought about it."

Killian chuckled. "I don't think it really matters anymore." He tangled his fingers in her hair before resting his hand on the back of her neck. He moved his hook arm behind her waist holding her closely.

"I guess you're right," Emma stated, shivering at his touch. Her right hand remained at the back of his neck as she moved her left hand to rest on his chest. She pulled him closer to brush her lips over his slightly. "I want you, Killian."

Killian shuddered at her words and swallowed hard. "You may very well have me, Emma." He replied with a smirk.

She crashed her lips to his in a desperate kiss attempting to pull him closer than he already was. He kissed her back with equal passion and began to slide his hook under her shirt, letting the cool metal brush against the exposed skin. She shivered at the sensation and pulled back from his lips for a moment.

"Do me a favor and don't rip this shirt," Emma stated, with a mischievous grin. "Or else I won't have anything to wear out of here."

"Maybe that was my plan," he replied with a smirk. "Then you couldn't leave, unless you wore one of my shirts. Which dare I say would look absolutely ravishing on you?"

Emma blushed and bit her bottom lip before leaning in closer again. "Maybe we will save that for the next time."

Killian growled and leaned in to kiss her again as he backed her up against the wall. He pulled away from her lips the leave a trail of kisses down her jaw and neck stopping to suck at her pulse point hard, clearly determined to leave a mark. Emma moaned and began to tug at his shirt when the door to the cabin suddenly swung open. The two pulled away from each other in surprise and Emma could feel the anger boiling in her veins when she saw Neal standing in the doorway.


	6. No More Playing Nice

_Chapter 6: No More Playing Nice_

If it wasn't for Emma being there she was pretty sure that Killian would have already had his hook in Neal's neck. As it turned out Emma got to him first, her fist flying at his left jaw knocking him back against the open door. He fell to the ground with a thud holding the side of his face. How is it he managed to be there at the exact moments she didn't want to see him? Well, in all honesty she never wanted to see him, but he always managed to interrupt conversations, her thoughts, and now this. She was seriously getting tired of running into him and this time he appeared to have followed her and Emma was not about to let him get away with it.

"What the fuck do you think you're doing?" Emma asked, as Neal attempted to get back to his feet. "Did I really not make it clear enough that I wanted nothing to do with you?"

Killian stood back with his arms crossed and watched as the man attempted to get back to his feet. She had no idea what he was thinking at this point, but she loved that he didn't immediately interfere. A reminder of just how well he knew her. He didn't have to do anything in that moment because he was fully aware that Emma could take care of herself. She was seething at this point and was ready to hit the bastard again if he said anything she didn't like. Neal looked back and forth between the two of them when he finally stood back up, a clear bruise beginning to form on his cheek.

"I was worried about you," Neal stated. "You never said that the man you loved was Captain Hook."

Killian raised an eyebrow. "You told him you were in love with me?"

"I told him that I was in love with another man," Emma replied. "I never told him who."

Killian just smiled.

"You don't need to worry about me, it's not your job and I find it really annoying. I am capable of taking care of myself, I don't need you," said Emma. "How the hell did you make it onto the ship, it's invisible."

"When I couldn't see where you went I was about to give up, but then a seagull landed in midair so I figured there was something there," Neal explained. "I kind of stumbled on the stairs."

"Why does the invisibility spell not work on the bloody birds?" Killian said out loud, making Emma laugh.

"Maybe you should have mentioned that to Cora when she put the spell on your ship, because it's kind of too late to fix that now," Emma stated amused.

"She put the spell on her, of her own accord," Killian stated. "I wasn't really happy about it at first. The Jolly Roger is a marvel and I didn't exactly want it to be hidden from view. Though I imagine it made sense at the time, it's not like I can fix it now."

"I like it being invisible most of the time," Emma stated. "It gives me a place to hide when I want to get away from the world."

"My ship is always at your command, love." He said with a wink. Emma smiled, and pushed him playfully.

"You shouldn't have followed me to begin with," Emma said turning back to Neal realizing she had forgot about him being there for a second. "You don't have a say in my life so please leave."

"Emma," said Neal taking a slow step toward her. "You do know who he is, right?"

"Yes, Neal," said Emma rolling her eyes. "I am fully aware of who he is. I don't see how that really matters."

"Emma," Neal started. "He's evil. He took my mother from my father and now he's taking you from me."

Killian appeared to be about to speak up, but Emma interrupted.

"He's not taking me from you," Emma explained. "Even if I had no feelings for him. Even if I hated him. It wouldn't change that I feel nothing for you. As it turns out I happen to be in love with him. I'm the only one who can decide who I want to be with and I want him. A decision your mother made a long time ago. One that she also wasn't forced into making. So instead of trying to blame other people for you or your fathers mistakes maybe you should try realizing you are the problem."

Neal was dumbstruck. Somehow he wasn't getting that she didn't want to be with him. They may have had something years ago, but it was gone and it was never coming back. Emma was exasperated. Nothing she said seemed to get through his head even when she had to drill it into his head.

"You can't be serious," Neal finally spoke up. "We have a son and he's a pirate."

"I have a son," Emma corrected. "And if you can't respect my decisions and my space then I don't think I can let you see him."

"You can't do that, he's my son too," said Neal.

"No he's not," Emma replied, voice raised. "You abandoned the two of us a long time ago. I didn't have a choice, but to give him up because I had no way to take care of him. Now that I do, I'm not letting him go. You made the choice to leave. You had the opportunity to stay to have the family I once wanted with you. Now that is in the past and that's not going to change. Now could you please leave?"

"Emma," Neal started. "I don't think you. . . ."

"No," Emma yelled. "I'm done talking about this. For some reason you don't listen, so how about this. Either you leave now or I will let Killian run you through with his hook before I throw you overboard myself."

Neal was in shock. Killian appeared to be too, but that didn't stop him from giving the man an evil smirk. A promise that if requested he would do exactly as Emma threatened. It appeared that the threat worked because Neal looked back and forth between the two before finally running out of the room. Emma let out a sigh of relief before turning back to Killian who was now giving her a lustful smile.

"What?" Emma asked, blushing at the way he was looking at her.

"Has anyone ever told you that you're quite attractive when you threaten people?" He asked, moving closer so he could smooth his knuckles against her cheeks.

"No I can't say anyone has ever told me that," Emma replied smiling at his touch. "Am I?"

"Aye," He replied, leaning in and brushing his lips over hers softly. "Very attractive."

Emma reached her right hand up to stroke his cheek giving him a loving smile that he returned in kind. She bit her lip as she studied his face wondering why she had pushed him away all of those times he had made advances at her. Because right now standing there, touching him felt right. She leaned in and placed a chaste kiss to his lips.

"I love you," he said as she pulled away. He stroked her cheek with is fingers as if wanting nothing more than to remember what her skin felt like against his fingertips.

"I love you too," she replied. "I'm afraid Neal ruined our moment though."

"That's okay, lass," Killian replied with a smile. "I have a better idea anyway."

"What kind of idea?" Emma replied raising an eyebrow.

"It's a surprise," he replied with a mischievous grin. "Do you know where the clearing in the woods is? The one where they are currently growing the magic beans?"

"Yes," Emma replied, unsure where he was going with this.

"I want you to meet me there tonight," he stated. "Around midnight when everyone working on the field will be gone."

"What exactly are you planning?" Emma asked, curious.

"If I told you then it wouldn't be a surprise," he replied placing a soft kiss to her lips. "So I'm afraid you are just going to have to trust me on this."

"Is this your way of asking me out on a date?" She asked smiling at the thought of going out on an actual date.

"I suppose it is, Milady," he replied grabbing her hand in his and placing a kiss to her knuckles. "So that means you are required to dress nice. I promise I won't disappoint. So what do you say, love? Is it a date?"

Emma couldn't have stopped smiling if she tried. Honestly she had never gone on any real dates in over 8 years and Killian always managed to surprise her in the best ways. For a pirate he seemed to be great at putting her needs first and she wondered how he would manage to pull whatever it was he was planning together. She leaned in kissing him tenderly before pulling back to answer.

"It's a date."


	7. Midnight Rendezvous

**A/N: For some reason it was harder to get this chapter out. Anyway, as I mentioned before this is the sequal to a smut fic, so there would likely be more smut. So WARNING: SMUT! Thanks for reading and reviewing.**

_Chapter 7: Midnight Rendezvous_

Emma was clueless on what to do to get ready for her date. She hadn't been on many real ones in her life and she wasn't sure she had anything worth wearing. On her way back to her apartment she was lost in thought and felt a hand on her shoulder before she entered the building. Emma stopped but didn't immediately turn around afraid that once again Neal had followed her. When the person who stopped her stepped in front of her she let out a sigh of relief when she saw her mother.

"Are you okay?" she asked. "You seem distracted. Did you talk to Killian?"

"Yes," Emma answered, feeling herself begin to blush. "I was just. . . ." she trailed off. This was actually something she could use her mother's help, but once again she is treading in new territory. It wasn't easy for her to discuss her feelings with her mother and now she wasn't sure how to tell her that she needed her help.

"What is it?" Snow asked amused. "You seem nervous."

Emma sighed and chewed on the inside of her mouth. "I have no idea what to wear on a date," she admitted.

Snow practically squealed while pulling her daughter into a hug. Emma really shouldn't have been as surprised by the action as she was. She knew her mother wanted to be there for the important things in her life and now she was getting that chance. Snow pulled back from the hug smiling.

"We have to get you a dress," she exclaimed. "Something bright like gold or yellow, or maybe even blue to match his eyes. And you should curl your hair."

"Okay, okay," Emma exclaimed laughing. "But a dress, really? I'm not really a big dress wearer if you hadn't noticed. And why do you seem more excited about this than I am? Especially considering who the date is with."

"I never got to show you how to dress for your first ball, like I had always wanted to do," said Snow. "This is as close to that as I'm going to get. And it doesn't matter who the date is with as long as it's with someone who makes you happy. He has already proven to me that he cares about you and that is all that I ask. Now let's go find you a dress."

############

It felt strange to be walking through the woods in a long dress and heels for a date, but it was probably one of the more normal things she had done lately. Snow had helped her pick out a gold strapless dress then went down to her ankles and a pair of heels to match. Her hair was in tight curls and her mother even helped her with makeup that she never really wore. When she made it to the clearing there was a large blanket strewn across the grass and a picnic basket lying on top of it. The blanket was surrounded by a few lanterns and candles. Killian was standing near the tree line when she came into view and she was surprised to see what he was wearing. He was in a pair of dark slacks and a light blue button up shirt that somehow made his eyes seem even bluer. When he first saw her his jaw dropped and Emma couldn't help but blush.

"Bloody hell, Emma," he stated practically breathless. She smiled at the reaction she got, but in all honesty she was thinking the same thing about him. Though she would admit that she loved the leather, she had never imagined how good he would look in this realms clothing.

"I might say the same to you," she replied. "I didn't think you owned anything other than leather."

Killian laughed, grabbing her hand and pulling her close. "I didn't," he answered. "Your father helped me with that detail."

Emma froze. "My father helped you dress for a date with his daughter? And he didn't hit you?"

"I'm fairly certain your mother urged him to do it," Killian replied with a genuine smile. "I don't think she liked the idea of me wearing leather on our date. And what makes you think he didn't hit me?"

"Did he?" she asked, unable to hide the concern in her voice, as she stroked his cheek.

"No, lass, he didn't," Killian replied laughing. "Though I'm sure part of him wanted to. Apparently, he approves of me far more than he does Neal. So he was willing to let it go."

"Really?" Emma asked, smiling. "My father would prefer that I date Captain Hook instead of Neal. That's actually kind of reassuring."

He smiled as he leaned in to kiss her. She wrapped her hand around his neck, pulling him closer to deepen the kiss. He groaned when she dipped her tongue into his mouth, before she began to trail kisses down his jaw and neck.

"Emma, love," he started, taking a shaky breath. "There was supposed to be a dinner part of this date."

"Forget dinner," she stated, moving back up to look at him directly so he could see the desire in her eyes. "Right now, I just want you."

He growled and pulled her into a desperate kiss as he began to back her toward the blanket he had laid out on the grass. He lifted her off the ground and knelt down to lay her flat on the blanket, lips never leaving hers. She sighed when she felt his weight on top of her and began to run her hands up and down his torso.

"As much as I love this shirt on you," Emma started. "It needs to come off."

"As you wish," he replied, kissing her tenderly one more time before pulling back to help her remove the cumbersome piece of clothing. "Happy?"

"Very," she replied, wrapping her arms around him so she could feel the muscles in his back. He leaned back in to kiss her as he let his hand roam down her body inching the dress up until he had it bunched up at her stomach. His fingers brushed her core and he was surprised to find that she wasn't wearing any underwear. He gave her a curious look.

"So this was your plan all along," he stated, as he began to move his fingers against her most sensitive spot between her legs. She moaned his name bucking her hips against his hand.

"It may have been a thought," she whispered, feeling a knot begin to coil at her center. Her head fell back against the blanket and her eyes closed as he continued his torturously slow movements. She felt him begin to kiss at her neck again while keeping up the pace with his fingers. When he moved his fingers away from her center she made a sound of protest looking up at him frustrated. He just grinned at her as he began to kiss down her chest over the thing fabric before settling between her thighs.

Her eyes drifted shut again as he began to place light kisses to her inner thighs, but not quite close enough to where she wanted him. Instinctively her hips jerked upward wanting to find some kind of friction. Without another thought he moved his mouth over her clit and began to suck on the nub lightly. She made a high pitch shriek surprised by the action before a breathy moan escaped her lips. Her sounds of pleasure only encouraged him as he began to nibble harder at her core, thrusting two fingers into her and eliciting a loud scream. The muscles around his fingers began to tighten as her climax hit, her body arching against his touch as she screamed his name, before falling back against the blanket.

Everything around her was out of focus as she attempted to get control of her breathing. Killian moved back up her body, before leaning in and kissing her softly, letting her taste herself on his lips. She groaned against his lips, pulling him closer. Her hands moved down his chest and began to unbuckle his slacks as she continued to kiss him. She felt him gasp against her lips when she grasped him in her hand and began to align him with her core. They were still mostly dressed, but at this point she didn't care, she just needed him.

"Killian," she whispered. "I want you."

He groaned at her words and quickly thrust into her, gripping her hip to keep her steady. As he began to move, Emma kept her arms wrapped around his back, pulling him closer and wanting nothing more than to push him over the edge as he did her. She began to kiss and nip at his neck and she could tell he was already close to coming undone. His thrusts were becoming uneven and his breathing was becoming more erratic. She yelped in surprise when she felt the edge of his hook rub against her clit, causing her to shatter yet again. With only a few more thrusts he followed her over the edge collapsing on the blanket next to her. They just laid there in silence for a few minutes while they both attempted to come back to themselves. Emma pulled her dress back down and turned over to help him fix himself up before kissing him again.

"I love you," she whispered against his lips. He smiled, removing his hook and laying it down on the blanket, not wanting it to hurt her when they fell asleep there.

"I love you too," He kissed her one more time, pulling her closer so she could lay her head on his chest. She laid there listening to his heartbeat, letting the sound lull her to sleep.


	8. Missing

**A/N: This is a shorter chapter. Hopefully then next one will be longer. Thanks for reading and reviewing.**

_Chapter 8: Missing_

Emma woke far earlier than she intended, which was the first sign that something was wrong. The second being when she reached over for Killian, he wasn't there. She immediately shot up and attempted to get a glimpse of her surroundings. All the candles and lamps from the night were gone and she would have been in complete darkness if it wasn't for the moon. When she looked around the blanket she was still laying on she noticed that everything that was there before was gone. Not just Killian, but his shirt, and the picnic basket too. Emma started to panic. Killian wouldn't just leave her in the middle of the night, but why was everything from here date gone? The only thing that was still there was the blanket she way now sitting on.

The tears began to fall without her even getting a chance to stop them. Everything had been so perfect the night before she thought that for once she would actually get the chance to be happy. Now Killian was gone and she had no idea where he had gone. As she pulled herself together, she began to get angry decided it would be best to head to his ship to try to get him to explain why he had left her in the middle of the night. When she went to stand up from the blanket, she felt something sharp poke the palm of her hand, she yelped in pain and looked down at her hand. There was a light trickle of blood, coming from a small scratch. She reached under the blanket to try to find out what had stabbed her and was shocked by what she found. Killian's hook.

Anger began to turn to fear when she realized that there was no chance that Killian would take everything else, but leave his hook behind. That would mean that something was wrong, but it was too dark to scan the area and find out anything else right now. With his hook in her hand, Emma began to head out of the clearing and back into the forest. She hoped that her parents would help her right now. It didn't matter what anyone else thought about Killian. She loved him and she had a feeling that he was in trouble. She took her heels off as she made her way through the forest trying desperately to get back to the town. However, it wasn't long before she ended up bumping into someone and falling flat on the ground.

"I'm sorry," they said.

"Anton?" Emma asked, she immediately stood up and attempted to get her eyes to focus on the now normal sized giant. "Have you seen Killian?"

"No," he replied. "Not since earlier today when he asked about using the area next to the field as a picnic spot. I usually come out here this early to see how the beans are growing, but I didn't want to interrupt anything, so I have been taking a walk."

"Killian's missing," said Emma, unable to hide her fear in her voice. "When I woke up everything was gone, except for the blanket and Killian's hook."

"He actually takes that hook off?" Anton asked.

"Not usually," Emma answered. "And even when he does he doesn't just leave it lying around. It's a part of him."

"Okay, don't panic," said Anton, he himself seemed a little nervous. "We can find him. This really isn't a big town."

"What if there's nothing to find?" Emma asked, unable to stop the tears from falling. "What if someone killed him?"

"I seriously doubt he would make it very easy," said Anton, clearly uncomfortable. "Maybe I should take you to your parents."

Emma just nodded as the giant began to lead her out of the forest. She knew that this wasn't something he was used to dealing with; he had barely been in their world for a few months. Instead she just walked behind him and let her mind wander, which at the moment really wasn't the best thing. All she could think about was the bad things that could happen to Killian. She had finally found someone who made her happy, even after fighting her feelings for so long and now he was just gone. This wasn't something she was going to give up on. They may have had a series of unusual events precede them finally giving into how they felt, but she believed that they had something real.

When they made it back to town, Emma ran straight for her parents' home, completely forgetting about Anton and wanting nothing more than to hug her mother and have her tell her it would be alright. It was something she had never thought she needed when she thought her parents had abandoned her. Now they were here and she found that she needed them more often than she wanted to admit sometimes. As she approached the door she found that she was having much more difficulty holding herself together. She attempted to keep the tears to a minimum when she was walking with Anton, since he didn't really know what to do, but now she could feel them starting to fall again. This time she wasn't going to be able to stop them.

Snow opened the door and Emma didn't even give her a chance to acknowledge who was at the door before she threw her arms around her mother's neck and let the tears fall. Snow wrapped her arms around Emma without a word. She was always good at that. She knew when someone just needed to be held and that she wasn't going to get any answers out of her until she stopped crying. There was another reassuring hand, rubbing circles in her back and she knew her father had made his way to her. Often in these situations he didn't really know what to do, but just knowing he was right there was enough for her at the moment.

Finally she managed to get control of her sobbing and pulled back from the hug attempting to wipe the tears from her cheeks. She still had Killian's hook in her hand and she noticed her father give it a curious look.

"What happened?" he finally asked. "Why do you have his hook?"

"He had planned a picnic by the field with the magic beans. We fell asleep on the blanket and when I woke up, he was gone," Emma explained. "I know you are going to think he up and left me, and honestly it was the first thought that had crossed my mind, but I found his hook hidden under the blanket. He wouldn't have just left it there if he chose to leave."

"Okay, so he's missing," said Snow. "That shouldn't be too much of a problem."

"It's not?" Emma asked, still worried. "What if someone decided to kill him? I'm sure Gold isn't the only enemy he has."

"If they wanted to kill him, they could have done it right there," Snow explained. "And we are not going to assume anything. You have his hook and we have Red. She could track him by his scent. If he is still anywhere near here, we can find him."

"For the record, I never would have believed he left you," said Charming. Both Snow and Emma looked at him surprised. "What? You are the one who told me to help him find something appropriate for their date, though I wasn't happy about the prospect. As it turned out I was required to talk to him to do so. I admit I did threaten him. I told him if he ever hurt Emma than I would run him through with my sword. He told me that if it ever came to that he wouldn't even put up a fight."

"He said that?" Emma asked.

"Yeah," Charming replied. "I admit that I never really liked the man, but he clearly cares about you. He told me that if it ever came to it, he would fight for you and if anything he did ever hurt you than he wouldn't want to live anyway. He also said that you were one of the strongest women he had ever known and that you were capable of taking care of yourself, but that wouldn't stop him from protecting you if he ever needed to. He may be a pirate, but he does seem to have some code of honor. I can't help but respect that."

Emma didn't even know what to say. Her father was probably the last person in the town who she ever thought would actually accept Killian. Especially given the fact that his daughter was dating him, yet he seemed to understand how much she cared for him and wasn't going to fight her on that. She just smiled and hugged him.

"I don't know what happened to him, but we will find out," said Charming, holding his daughter tight. "Whoever went after him should have known better anyway. Taking him hurts you and I'm not going to stand by at let them get away with that."

"And neither am I," said Snow, finally speaking up. "I think it is about time we find Red and get this search started. If he is anywhere in this town, I'm sure she will be able to find him."


	9. A Realization

**A/N: This chapter is quite a bit shorter than the others. I don't know why, but I really had a hard time writing this one. My muse doesn't always like to cooperate. Thanks for all those who continue to read and review. **

_Chapter 9: A Realization_

It was surprising to see half of the town willing to help her find Killian. After the sun had rose that morning, Emma and her parents went to the picnic spot to see if they could find any clues as to what happened. There was a clear struggle, some broken glass from what appeared to be a couple of the lamps, the grass was matted down as if someone and been dragged, and there was some small traces of blood on the ground. It didn't help to alleviate Emma's worry. Someone had attacked Killian in the middle of the night and she somehow had slept through it. Emma was never a deep sleeper so she had no idea how someone could have put up that big of a fight right next to her without her noticing.

"Emma, are you alright?" came a voice behind her. She turned around to see Archie standing there.

"I'm fine," she assured, though she didn't think it was very believable.

"Are you sure?" he asked. "The Blue Fairy, she says that it looks like there was some poppy seed powder on the blanket."

"Poppy seed powder?" Emma asked. That would explain why she didn't notice the fight. Whoever took Killian had knocked her out so that the fight wouldn't wake her up. "So basically someone drugged me magically."

"Yeah," Archie replied. "I know this is a lot, but there are not a lot of places in Storybrooke where you could get poppy seed powder."

"I wouldn't think so," Emma replied. "The only people that might have any would be Regina, Cora, or Gold. Gold does hold a grudge against Killian and he had betrayed Regina and Cora in the past, but they all have magic. There wouldn't likely be any signs of a struggle."

"Is there anyone else you can think of that might have a problem with him?" Archie asked. "I mean I know he isn't exactly the most likable guy. He had kidnapped and threatened me once, but is there anyone who would have a problem with him personally and might actually go as far to hurt him?"

Emma thought about it for a second and a realization hit her. "Neal."

"Who?" Archie asked.

"Gold's son," Emma explained. "I loved him years ago. He's Henry's father. Ever since he came back her he has been trying to get me to take him back and give our family a chance. I told him no, multiple times until I finally told him I was in love with someone else. He followed me when I went to see Killian aboard his ship. I told him go leave again. He is the only person I can think of who doesn't have magic, who might go after Killian for personal reasons. He believes Killian stands in the way of us getting back together. I have to go talk to him."

"Emma, I don't think you should go alone," Archie replied. "If he was willing to go this far, this man could be dangerous."

"I can take care of myself, Archie," Emma stated. "I'm going to Gold's shop to try to find Neal. Let David know what I am doing. I'll be fine."

Emma left without another word. If Neal had anything to do with this she was not going to stand around and wait to see what he planned to do to Killian. The first place she could think of to look was his father's shop and she had a feeling that Gold may have had a hand in helping his son with his plan. Even though deep down she hoped that Neal wouldn't be capable of something like this, she couldn't hide the feeling that she was wrong. The man she once knew and loved wasn't there anymore and he was not going to ruin her chance at happiness again.

When she reached Gold's shop the closed sign was up, but that wasn't about to stop her from finding Neal and questioning him. Luckily for Emma the door was still unlocked so she didn't have to break in like she originally planned. She opened the door and stomped into the middle of the shop. Gold was standing at the counter alone and he looked up at her when she entered.

"Why does nobody pay attention to the sign on the door?" he sighed. "To what do I owe the pleasure, Miss Swan?"

"I'm looking for your son," she stated harshly.

"I'm afraid he isn't here at the moment," Gold replied.

"Where is he?" Emma asked.

"I don't know, dearie," Gold replied. "Though it pains me, he is no longer a boy. That being said I have no right to keep track of him and he is capable of making his own decisions without his father's approval."

"You know what he did," It wasn't a question. Emma could tell that he knew Neal had done something, or planned to do something, even if he didn't know exactly what that was.

"I'm not sure what you are talking about," Gold feigned innocence, but Emma knew better. She wasn't stupid and right now she was sick of the games.

"He used poppy seed powder on me," Emma shouted. "You are the only person I could think of who might have that around and he's your son. You would do anything to help him, especially if that meant hurting Killian."

"I may have a grudge against the pirate that stole my wife, "Gold started. "But that doesn't mean that I am out to hurt everyone who has done me wrong in the past. My son's business is his own. He is old enough to make his own choices and I do know that he want's your forgiveness."

"And so he thinks that if he gets Killian out of the way then I will forgive him?" Emma asked, with a harsh laugh. "He will find that attacking me and the man I love is not the best way to earn forgiveness."

"Love?" Gold asked, raising and eyebrow. "Such a strong word for a man you barely know. Are you aware of the things he has done in his long past? Besides stealing a man's wife and leaving his son without a mother, I'm sure there are quite a few other nasty bits to his past."

"I know the story a little differently," Emma stated, annoyed. Nobody was going to convince her that she shouldn't love Killian. Even her parents managed to understand that they can't change how she feels and she didn't want to. "Whatever, Killian did in his past is just that, in his past. It has nothing to do with now or the future. Belle believed you could change and maybe I believe Killian can too."

Gold watched Emma with interest. She had no idea what was going on in the man's head and she wondered if comparing him to Killian had struck some kind of cord. It was the truth though. Emma believed that Killian could change and already begun to, for her. Belle had believed the same of Gold and even though Emma wasn't sure he could change, the fact that Belle believed it made her willing to give the man the chance.

"Change is not something that is easy to do, dearie," Gold replied. "Hook is a revenge driven pirate who has spent 300 years with his anger. I seriously doubt he can change just like that."

"I'm not saying it's easy," Emma replied. "I'm sure that he still has a lot of anger towards you, but he hasn't tried to kill you recently. He has stayed away from you so far and I believe it is because he wants to let go of his past. Whatever you say isn't going to change the way I feel about him and that goes for whatever Neal is doing. No matter what happens, I love Killian and nothing can change that. I will find Neal and Killian with or without your help."

"You're treading in dangerous waters, Miss Swan," Gold stated as Emma was about to leave the shop.

"If I find out that Neal has done anything to hurt Killian," Emma stated through clenched teeth. "He will find out just how dangerous I can be."


	10. The Search

**A/N: I had got stuck with this story for a moment, but came home from work and suddenly it came out. This chapter is a bit shorter. Thanks to everyone who reads and reviews. **

_Chapter 10: The Search_

The anger Emma was feeling was starting to boil over. How could Neal even think that kidnapping the man she loved would end with her wanting to be with him? Did he really think that if Killian wasn't there that she would fall back in love with him? She wished he could just get it through his head that they were over and nothing in this world was going to change that. The fact that he could do something that would hurt her this much proved that he cared about nobody but himself. She had a feeling that if she ran into him right now she wouldn't be able to stop herself from hitting him. Emma was so deep in her thoughts that she didn't even notice that someone was calling her name until they grabbed her arm and stopped her. Emma had been prepared to hit whoever grabbed her until she noticed it was her father standing there.

"Wow," he said putting his hands up to protect himself in case she did swing. "It's just me."

"Sorry," Emma stated calming down a little. "I guess I'm a little on edge at the moment."

"It's okay," said Charming. "I get that this is really stressful right now, but everything will be alright."

"You don't know that," Emma answered, beginning to tear up. "We don't even know if he's alive. I have no idea what to do. I've always pushed people away because I get too afraid that they are going to leave me. I can't lose him."

"You're not going to lose him," said Charming, pulling his daughter into a hug. "He's not the type to go down without a fight and he cares about you. We'll find him. If you are right thinking that Neal did this I doubt he could have gone too far with him. I don't even see how he could have over powered Hook. He's been a pirate for over 300 years, fighting is in his nature."

"Yeah," Emma stated. "I feel like I'm missing something here. I don't think Neal could beat Killian in a fight and I don't think Killian would have just given up. I have no idea where he could have even taken him."

"I'm sure we can find him," Charming stated. "All we need is something of his and Ruby should be able to sniff him out."

Emma just nodded, trying to control her emotions. Something here didn't make sense and she didn't know what to do in this situation. She spent a lot of time trying to find people and right now she was desperate to find Killian before Neal could do him any harm. Finding people in Storybrooke never turned out to be as easy as it was in the city. Nobody ever left any real trail she could follow and half the time people used some kind of magic. The only hope she had right now was that Ruby would be able to sniff out his whereabouts. Emma didn't even realize that Charming had led her back to Killian's ship. Ruby was standing at the docks waiting for them.

"Hey," she said as they approached, giving Emma a reassuring smile. Emma had never been so happy to have so many people in her life who were willing to help her, especially given Killian's reputation.

"Hey," Emma finally replied, weakly. The stress of the situation was starting to get to her and she felt like she could burst into tears at any moment. However, she needed to hold it together if she was going to be any help in finding Killian.

"I'm going to need something of his," Ruby stated, getting right to the point. "A piece of clothing or something. I could use his hook, but clothing tends to hold the scent better."

"I'm sure I could find something," Emma replied, as she headed toward the invisible gangplank of the ship. It felt strange boarding the Jolly Roger when she knew Killian wouldn't be there. She didn't like how empty it felt without him. Somehow everything seemed darker, like he was what brought light to the ship. She was sure it was her imagination or a reflection of how she felt knowing he was gone. When she arrived to his captain's quarters she found one of his chemises' sitting on a chair in the corner. It was looking like the one he was wearing when she finally told him how she felt about him. She figured it would be the best item for Ruby to use at the moment.

After she grabbed the discarded piece of clothing she made it back to the docks where Ruby and her father were still standing. She handed the shirt to Ruby and she smiled before sniffing it. Emma just watched as Ruby began to walk up the stairs to the docks and back toward the town. Charming and Emma followed and she could feel the hope that they would find him. After a minute, Ruby stopped and sniffed the fabric again, before beginning to walk down the road that leads out of Storybrooke. For a second Emma began to panic. She wondered if Neal would go as far as to take Killian out of Storybrooke. Neither of them were affected by the curse so they wouldn't lose their memories, but it would leave her and Henry as the only people who would be able to leave town to find him.

Right now, she didn't want to think about that. Emma had been used to doing everything on her own for so long. Now she actually knew what it was like to have family and friends that cared. She didn't know if she could go back to being alone and she didn't want to. So many people had gathered to help her and she hoped she wouldn't be forced to deal with his by herself. At the moment she felt like the only thing holding her together was the fact that her father was there with her. It sounded stupid in her mind, but for once she was depending on her family and she knew she didn't have to always be strong for them. Charming would cast sideways glances at her to make sure she was okay and part of that was reassuring.

Once again, Ruby stopped and sniffed the piece of clothing before walking off of the road and into the woods. This was much further from their picnic spot than she would have expected. It would take a lot of work to bring Killian all this way, unconscious or not. Neal wasn't stronger than Killian and it was hard to believe that he could have pulled this off without help. It made her realize that it was most likely that Gold had helped Neal with this little plan. His past with Killian wasn't really a secret to the town and everyone knew that Killian's original plan was to kill Gold. She began to wonder if he decided that this would be the best way to get the pirate out of his way.

Emma shook her head trying to get all negative thoughts out of her mind. She had to believe that they would find him. Killian was always strong and never gave up a fight and she couldn't give up on him right now. As they ventured further into the woods, Emma began to wonder exactly how far the town line was from their spot. She had never really made it out in this part of the woods and she didn't want to accidently cause Ruby and her father to lose their memories when they were trying to help her. The walk was beginning to make her uneasy. The further they went into the woods the more she worried. Not only about Ruby and her father, but about Killian and what Neal would want to do with him this far away from town.

Ruby stopped again before changing directions and continuing to walk. Emma had a bad feeling about this. There was something wrong and Emma couldn't place what it was. Ruby seemed confused and she began to look every direction as if she was lost. It wasn't like her. Even before the curse was broken, Ruby always seemed to know where she was going. She had once found Charming in the woods just by her own senses. She had even told Emma once that every person has their own scent and it can take days for it to dissipate. At the time she thought that was kind of creepy, but right now it was what she was relying on. Ruby stopped once again and sniffed the piece of clothing before looking in every direction.

"What's wrong?" Emma asked, almost afraid of what her answer would be.

"The scent's gone," Ruby stated. "It was strong at the docks, which makes sense since that's where he spends most of his time, but it lead me this way. Suddenly I could barely pick it up and now it's just gone. It doesn't make sense."

"What does that mean?" Charming asked, clearly noting the worried look on Emma's face.

"It's like he disappeared," Ruby stated. "Or went underground. I've never had anything like this happen before. Whatever happened, his scent is gone. I can't tell where he went. I'm sorry Emma."


	11. Listen to Your Heart

**Got another chapter finished. I am thinking that this may only have a couple chapters left. I'm not sure, I don't ever actually have these things planned out so we will see. Thanks again for all the reviews, favorites, and follows.**

_Chapter 11: Listen to Your Heart_

Emma felt lost, like all the hope she had had been sucked out of her. At the moment she just laid on the couch staring off into space. Her parents were clearly worried, but she barely registered that they were there at the moment. All her thoughts were on Killian and the possibility that she would never see him again. Finally she had found someone who she felt she could trust and love and he was ripped away from her. Nobody had seen or heard from Neal which only confirmed her suspicions that he had something to do with it. Giving up wasn't in her nature, but right now she didn't know what to do. Everyone in town continued to look for any signs of what had happened to him, but so far they came up empty.

At this point Emma felt numb, like the world around her was coming crashing down. It was a feeling she had before when Neal had left her, but this time it was so much worse. This time she knew it wasn't Killian choosing to leave her and the fact that someone would try to take him from her caused more pain than she thought possible. Neal claimed to still love her, yet was willing to cause her this much pain all because she said she loved someone else. It was that fact that made her realize Neal was more like his father than he was willing to admit. When Milah had fallen in love with Killian and left him, Gold killed her because he couldn't take her loving someone else. She hoped that Neal wouldn't go as far as to kill Killian.

She knew that she had people on her side, but she couldn't help feeling alone at that moment. Her parents had lost each other before and they knew what it was like, but she still couldn't talk to them. Most of her life she had to deal with her problems on her own and even though she knew there were others there with her, she still found it hard to open up to them about some things. Killian was gone and she felt like all hope in finding him had been lost.

'_Emma'_

Emma sat up on the couch abruptly. She swore she just heard Killian saying her name. Maybe she was imagining things. She missed him so much that now she was imagining that he was still here with her. That probably wasn't a good thing. The last thing she needed was to start losing her mind right now.

"Emma are you alright?" Snow asked coming over to stand in front of the couch.

'_Emma'_

"I don't know," Emma said honestly. "How am I supposed to deal with this? I spent most of my life refusing to trust anyone and building up my walls so I couldn't get hurt again. Then I finally find someone who pushes back and breaks down those walls and now he's gone."

"Emma," said Snow sitting down next to her daughter. "He's out there somewhere and we will find him. You have to trust that. Your father and I had been separated many times. We have always found each other and you can find Killian."

"You guys have true love," Emma stated.

"Do you think that you and Killian don't?" she asked. "It's hard to tell if something is true love or not, but you said yourself that he is the only one who has ever been able to get through your defenses. Maybe it's because he was always meant to. True love always finds a way, but you have to fight for it. Don't give up."

'_Emma'_

"How can I not give up when I feel like everyone is fighting against me?" Emma asked, feeling the tears start to well up in her eyes. "I know that it's not true, but I can't help but feeling like someone is telling me we don't belong together."

"You said that you think Neal did this," Snow stated. "That's what he wants you to think. He wants you to believe that you and Killian are not meant to be together. He thinks that you will go back to him if Killian is out of the picture. Do you have any idea how many people tried to convince me that your father and I were not meant to be together. Everyone fought us every step of the way, but we didn't give up on each other. We found a way and we fought. You just have to fight for Killian. Right now, he needs you. I don't see him as the type to give up on you so you can't give up on him. Do you love him?"

"More than anything," Emma replied, letting a few tears escape.

"Then prove it to him," Snow replied, wiping the tears from her daughters eyes. "Show him that no matter what happens between you, that you are willing to fight to keep him in your life. I once told you that if true love was easy everyone would have it. It's never easy, but it's always worth fighting for. You just have to believe that."

Emma leaned over and put her head on Snow's shoulder. Snow smiled and wrapped her arm around her daughter. It was something she still wasn't used to; having her mother there when she needed her, but it was a nice feeling. Every part of her had expected her parents to warn her to stay away from Killian. He was supposed to be the villain and the stories about him were anything but good. Yet, here her mother was encouraging her to not give up on him. It meant more to her than she could say at the moment.

'_Emma, please.'_

Emma felt like she had to be going crazy now. His voice kept popping up in her head. That's definitely not normal. She tried to ignore it, but the voice kept coming and it seemed to be getting louder.

'_Emma, find me.'_

She felt like he was trying to tell her something. If they really had true love maybe he was. Emma sat up a little straighter as if trying to hear where his voice was coming from. Maybe that was it. If she just listened maybe she would be able to find him.

"Emma what is it?" Snow asked.

"I think I can hear him," Emma stated.

"What?" Snow asked, confused.

"I can hear Killian calling for me," she replied, looking at her mother. "You think I'm crazy."

"No, not at all," Snow answered. "Listen to him. True love is the most powerful magic of all. Wherever he is, he's trying to reach you. You just have to focus and listen."

Emma nodded and closed her eyes trying to focus on Killian. She was sure she was hearing his voice and she wanted more than anything to hear him again. Several minutes passed and nothing. The dread started to take over, afraid that something had happened or that she was truly imagining things.

'_Emma, love.'_

"Killian?" she said out loud almost desperately. Snow just watched her, the hope evident in her eyes.

'_Love, please find me.'_

"I don't know where you are," Emma said out loud, tears starting to fall from her eyes. "Please help me find you."

Several minutes of silence passed and Emma feared that she wasn't going to hear his voice again. Even the quiet voice in her head was starting to give her some hope. Somehow she was able to hear him and maybe he could hear her. If they really had true love maybe all she had to do was open her heart to the possibility that their love would lead them to each other. It worked for her parents so why not her. If she had found her true love she would do anything to keep it.

'_I don't know where I am.'_

She heard his voice again. "Is there anything that can give me a clue to where you are?" she asked. "Or is there any way you could escape?"

'_Sleeping'_

"Sleeping?" she asked out loud.

Snow looked at Emma in confusion. "He says he's sleeping?" she asked.

"Yes, and he doesn't know where he is," Emma explained. "What does he mean he's sleeping?"

"The sleeping curse," Snow stated. "Neal put him under the sleeping curse."

"What?" Emma asked, shocked. "How would he be able to do that? I thought in order for the sleeping curse to work on you, you had to willingly eat the poison apple?"

"I did," Snow agreed. "This means that either Killian didn't know he was being put under the sleeping curse, or he did it willingly."

"Why would he do it willingly?" said Emma.

'_Save you.'_

"Save me?" Emma asked. "Did Neal threaten to hurt me if you didn't?"

'_Yes, said he'd kill you.'_

"He said he'd kill me if he didn't do it," Emma told Snow, tears falling from her eyes again.

'_Don't cry, love'_

"How do you know I'm crying?" Emma asked, wiping the tears from her eyes.

'_I can feel it.'_

"Neal isn't going to get away with this," Emma stated. "I am going to find you and I won't give up until I do."

'_I would despair if you did.'_


	12. Something Worth Fighting For

**A/N: This is the last chapter to this story. Neal is in it of course and he is pretty OOC, just so you are aware. Anyway. I hope you have enjoyed the story. I'm still working on Shared Bodies and I have other ideas I might start working on too. Thanks for reading and reviewing. **

Chapter 12: Something Worth Fighting For

Emma felt like her hope was back. She knew that Killian was alright for the time being and even though he was under the sleeping curse she knew she could wake him. All she had to do was find him first. The problem with that was that she didn't really know how. There had to be a way. Her parents always managed to find each other and she believed she could always find Killian. Without a word she shot up from the couch, grabbed her father's sword that was sitting in the corner, and headed toward the door.

"Where are you going?" Snow asked, before she had the chance to leave.

"I'm going to find Killian," Emma replied turning around. "I don't know how yet, but I'm not giving up on him, not without a fight."

Snow smiled as Emma headed out of the door. She had no idea where she was going, but she found herself heading back towards the woods. Ruby had caught his scent at one point and she lost it. That means that he had to have been there at some point. She thought about what Ruby had said when she lost his scent. _It's like he disappeared or went underground. _Emma stopped dead in her tracks. _Underground_. The Mines. They had been all but abandoned since the dwarfs were helping Anton with the magic beans.

Without another thought, Emma headed toward the entrance to the mines. There didn't seem to be anything out of the ordinary there at the moment, but she knew in her heart that this is where she would find Killian. It was dark and she realized that she should have brought a flashlight or something. At one point there were lanterns, but they had been snuffed out when the dwarfs left. In the distance she could hear what sounded like footsteps. Killian was under the sleeping curse so he couldn't be walking around. That's when she realized Neal had been missing too and it was very likely that he was down here waiting for her.

Emma put her sword up as she turned a corner and noticed a light at the end of a long tunnel. It appeared that she was right about Neal being there. She could see his shadow pacing back and forth in a small room that she believed once held the diamonds that Gold had used to try to stop her and her mother from coming back through the portal from the Enchanted Forest. Warily, Emma entered the room and Neal stopped his pacing and looked to her. A smile crept up onto his face and that's when she noticed Killian laying on the ground in the corner.

"So glad you could join us, Emma," Neal stated, holding his own sword. She could barely recognize the man anymore. There was an evil look in his eye that Emma had never seen before. It gave her chills, but she wasn't about to back down now.

"I'm not leaving here without Killian," Emma stated, keeping her sword aimed at him. "I'm not letting you take him from me."

"How can you even love a man like that?" Neal asked, glancing back at the unconscious pirate. "He's Captain Hook and described as evil in every story that's ever been told about him."

"I've lived in this town long enough to know that the stories that are told aren't always true," said Emma. "And I don't care about what he did in his past. I know what happened to him and I know why he became who he was. People can change. You have, but unlike Killian, you've changed for the worst."

"We have a son together, Emma," Neal stated, completely ignoring Emma's words. "I'm not going to let a pirate raise him."

"I haven't even discussed Henry with Killian," Emma stated. "We haven't really been together long enough to go into that and Henry doesn't know about Killian yet. Before this, I could have let you be a part of your son's life, but not now. Not after you did this to me. You tried to take away the man I love and for what? Did you really think that I would want to get back together with you after this?"

"I'm the father of your son," Neal stated before pointing his sword towards Killian. "And he won't live to see tomorrow."

Emma made a move to run toward Killian, but Neal pulled a bottle out of his pocket and threw it to the ground. A large puff of smoke enveloped them and she prayed that Neal didn't get to Killian. However, when the smoke cleared a snake the size of a horse stood between her and Killian. Emma's eyes went wide and she backed a few steps away from the giant snake.

"You want to get to your love?" Neal asked, laughing. "Go ahead and try. It's interesting the things you can find in my father's shop."

"You're crazy," Emma shouted, never taking her eyes off the snake.

"All I wanted was to be a family with you," Neal stated. "But you had to go and fall in love with the damned pirate that took my mother away. Now all I want is my son. And right now the two of you are the ones standing in my way."

_Oh God_. Emma thought. He was going to try to get rid of her and Killian so that he could get to Henry. She'd be damned if she let that happen. Neal was not going anywhere near Henry. The snake was beginning to move toward her and Emma side stepped out of the way when it lunged at her. She nearly tumbled onto the floor, but got back up as the snake turned back to face her. As the snake began to slither toward her again she could hear Neal laughing. This was insane. Did he really think that getting rid of her and Killian would change anything? Her parents would still be there.

The snake was getting to close and she moved further from Killian to try to avoid him getting hurt if it lunged toward her again. She could feel the adrenaline start to take over like it did when she was battling the dragon. The last thing she was going to do was let Neal win. If anyone wasn't making it out alive it was going to be Neal. For the first time in her life she felt complete with Killian there and she wasn't giving up on them. As the snake lunged for her again, she stepped over to the side just enough before plunging her sword into its head. It attempted to shake the sword off, but Emma held on tight as the snake's body began to go limp.

Emma's breathing was heavy as she pulled the sword out of the now dead snake's head. She could feel herself shaking, but she hid that from Neal who was standing in the corner looking at her in shock. She hoped that he didn't have any other tricks up his sleeve, because she really wasn't in the mood to deal with any more of this. He stood up straight and walked back to the spot in front of Killian.

"I admit that was impressive," Neal stated.

"I'm the daughter of Prince Charming," Emma pointed out. "Sword fighting is in my blood."

"I guess so," said Neal. "You have one last chance to just give up and agree to be with me. We can be a family and I will spare the pirates life."

"Fuck you," Emma replied. "After everything you've done I am not letting you anywhere near my family and we sure as hell will never be a family. And if you think I will let you so much as touch Killian, you have another thing coming. I'm not giving him up that easily. We have something I will always fight for."

"Suit yourself," said Neal as he began to swing his sword toward Killian.

"NO," Emma yelled. A familiar feeling began to take over. A bright light surrounded her and it shot out knocking Neal against the back wall. Emma put her hand to her chest. Sometimes she forgot about the magic she had deep inside her. She glanced over to Neal who wasn't moving, before running over to kneel next to Killian.

It almost looked like he was just sleeping peacefully right there. She placed her hands on either side of his face and leaned in to brush her lips against his softly. A rush of electricity went straight through her as she felt a gust of wind blow past her. She pulled back and studied his face. For a moment nothing happened and Emma could feel the tears forming in her eyes. Suddenly, he opened his eyes and took a deep breath. Emma could feel the relief wash over her as he turned to look at her. He smiled and moved his right hand to her cheek.

"You found me," he stated simply. Emma laughed and leaned in to kiss him again. She pulled back and he sat up stroking her cheek lovingly.

"At the risk of sounding like my father," Emma started. "I'll always find you."


End file.
